Let the Wild Out (19 page)

“I have never been to Scotland.” She looked out the window.
Her solemn tone worried him. “Of course this is my first time in England too,
and it is not how I would imagine such a trip. For one, I’d be here with a
passport so I could go home.”

“Rachel, for what it is worth, we are sorry about what has
happened to you, but until we know why you were targeted, there is nothing to
be done.” He put his hands on his hips. “I apologize if this is insensitive,
but it is time to act, not to wallow in self pity. I have a responsibility to
keep you safe whether you are happy with my ways or not. The safest place for
you right now is with me, in Scotland.”

He half expected her to yell for his heavy-handed ways, but
she surprised him. “What about William? I will not leave without speaking to
William.”

“I would not ask you to, but we need to have a united front
when we speak to him. He might not be able to come with us and he might not
want to let you go. I know I wouldn’t want to let you go.” He ventured to move
closer to her and brushed the hair from her face. “We should leave after the
ball tomorrow night. Since William and I are forced to attend, you will need to
be by our side so we can protect you. No one would dare attack in the crowd.”

“I don’t have a choice, do I?” She let loose a long sigh.

“Is it so bad?” he wondered aloud.

“What?”

“The idea of being with me, as my wife? Is it so bad?” With
her he felt vulnerable. She was everything he wanted in a woman, and she could
be his if she would just accept what was between them.

“But I would not just be with you.”

“Of course, William as well. Are we so bad of a fate? Our
lives have forced us to come to terms with the idea of sharing a wife, but is
the idea of being our bride so horrible? Is it because William attacked you? Is
it because I was not fast enough to stop him?”

“I meant it would not just be the both of you that I would
be accepting. I would be taking on the whole shifter population.” She took a
deep breath. “It is not a responsibility I can accept lightly. My whole life
I’ve hidden from what I am. Do you have any idea what it is like being an
omni-shifter and not being able to tell people? Only a few people knew of it
and they took it to their graves. Now you’re asking me to announce it to the
world. Marriage is a big step on its own, but this situation is complicated.”

“Those are details that will work themselves out in time.
What I feel for you. What William feels for you. Those things are not
complicated. We’re not humans, Rachel. When we meet our future, we know. I knew
the moment I saw you in the bookstore that I wanted you.”

“That’s lust,” she interjected with a small laugh.

“No, that was real. One look and you shot right through me.
Before I even met you, I snapped your picture and sent it to William. It must
have shot through him too, because he was on a plane to America just to get a
glimpse of what could be. One picture is all it took and he was hooked.”
Douglas reached for her shoulders, pulling to urge her gently to her feet. “Don’t
make us spend eternity with a fill-in wife. That is a long time to ask us to be
without you.”

A tear pooled along her bottom lid. “Douglas—”

“Tell me you didn’t feel our connection. Tell me when you
were in the woods with us, just the three of us, you didn’t feel the
possibility of what we could be to each other.”

“Of course I felt it. I felt it so strong it scared me, and
I flew out of the second story window to run away from it.” She wiped at her
eye.

“Then—”

“I have heard what you have to say, but I won’t make any
decision until I hear what William has to say about all this. Scotland, balls,
marriage, killers, there is a lot to think about.” She touched his face. “But
thank you, Douglas. Thank you for your sweet words, and your concern, and your—”

“Love,” he stated. “You have my love.”

“Yes, thank you for your love.” She leaned into him, turning
her mouth in invitation. “And I love you too.”

It was all he needed to hear. Douglas leaned over and kissed
her. The sweet taste of her lips washed over him. This was what he wanted—these
tender private moments with Rachel. He accepted the arrangement of sharing her
so long as it meant he got to have her. William was a good man, someone he
would even call a friend. When he leaned in to kiss her, she lifted her fingers
to his mouth to stop him.

“Yes, I feel it,” Rachel said, “but I will not make a
mindless decision with my heart. My brain has to be agreed or any life I have
will be plagued with constant doubts and worry. This isn’t some Hollywood movie
where people ride off into the sunset happily ever after. This is real life and
I won’t give myself over to the idea unless I know heart and mind that I can be
in one hundred percent. If I can’t, there is no way I will be able to handle
the pressure of the kind of spotlight life you live.”

“I understand. I would want you to be sure. Tell me how I
can alleviate your worry and—”

“Time to think,” Rachel broke in. “I just need to time to
think about such a big decision.”

He didn’t want to, but he nodded in agreement. Douglas
pulled back from her. “Very well. I will give you the time you ask for.”

When he let go of her to leave her alone, her hand on his
arm stopped him. She gave a small smile. “I didn’t mean this exact instant.”

Douglas took the invitation and moved to kiss her. This time
she didn’t stop him as her lips met his and instantly parted. Their tongues
rubbed slowly together in an erotically charged dance.

Rachel glided her hands onto his waist, lifting his shirt to
discover the flesh beneath. Her gentle touch set his body on fire with need. Everything
about this woman was sweet and perfect, and he had no doubt, given time, she
would agree to be his bride. The very idea of not having her in his life was
impossible to fathom.

Sweet caresses slowly became more fevered. He stripped her of
her clothing so she stood naked before him in front of the window. The soft
light embraced her.

Rachel’s fingers fumbled with his pants as she tried to
unbuckle his belt. He moved to help her, deftly unfastening the buckle. Her
hand moved down the front of his pants over the material of his boxers, rubbing
his erection through the fitted cotton. He moaned as she stroked him. The
friction of her touch warmed his already hot member.

Aggressively, Douglas walked her back into the wall. He
pushed his pants off his hips and pulled his boxers off his cock. The tighter
material hugged his thighs. He growled in the back of his throat as he lifted
her up. Her back pressed into the wall next to the window. If someone walked by
on the ground below at the right angle, they would get a glimpse of the naughty
couple. Douglas didn’t care who saw. All he knew was he wanted to claim his
woman—now and forever.

Holding her by her thighs, he entered her hard and sure. She
accepted him and he let loose a small cry of victory. His hips began to pump.
His body strained. Each thrust held within it a beautiful torment as he built
towards a magnificent release. The rougher sex wasn’t normally his style, but
he couldn’t slow. The jerking of his body was inelegant and raw. He didn’t
care. It felt too good, too right.

The second her body began to tremble in release, he let go.
He came inside her, wanting to fill her with himself. When he looked into her
eyes, he felt their connection and knew this was a woman he could spend the
rest of his very long life loving.

Douglas felt the pleasure of release singing in his veins.
If he could have, he would have spent the entire day with Rachel. However, he
wanted to check with his guards and probe the palace servants to see if there
were any suspicious people around, or at least people with suspicious
behaviors. Though he wanted to spend every second with Rachel, he needed to
make sure she was safe first.

After questioning several maids, some with intimidation and
others with charm, he discovered quite a bit. One was fairly certain another
was stealing food from the pantry to take home. Another believed the butler and
the cook were having an affair. Yet another thought Ginger and Faith were
having an affair with the same gardener. Lisbetha liked her meat raw because
she believed it helped her complexion. Charity was fasting before the ball to
fit into her sister’s old gown. Magda was a well respected bitch who ruled the
staff with an iron fist and little praise. Unfortunately, all their gossiping
and information was completely irrelevant to him.

Seeing Lisbetha approach, he stopped. The woman seemed
polite enough when he had the occasion to speak to her, but she was too boring
for his tastes. He hated the niceties of English court life. He wanted his wild
moorlands.

Lisbetha curtseyed. “Chief Duncanis, the tailor is here to
see to your fitting.”

“I have no fitting scheduled,” he told her. Douglas thought
about dismissing her, but decided he might as well see what she had to say
about the people in the manor home.

“I apologize, but I took the liberty on your behalf. Since
the ball was planned so suddenly, and you arrived with little by way of
luggage, I thought you might require a tux.” She coquettishly batted her lashes
at him. “Magda asked me to see to the details since you don’t currently have a
wife to see to such needs.”

“Magda asked you?” Douglas repeated.

Lisbetha nodded. “Yes. I have run my father’s home for years
now while he is away. The tailor is quite well trained. I have used him to make
my father’s suits over the years when he comes home. I took the liberty of
guessing your size, so the fitting should not take long at all.”

“Send him to my room. I will meet him there.” Douglas hadn’t
given much thought to what he would wear to the ball. Normally, he did have
trunks of luggage with him when he arrived at the English court. “And thank you
for the kindness.”

Lisbetha nodded. “There was one more thing, Chief.”

“Yes?”

“Magda mentioned that you did not have a lady to take with
you to the ball, and since I was effectively the hostess of the event I should
make myself available to you for the evening.”

“I have a date,” he said.

“Oh?” She bit her lip and looked at the floor.

He felt kind of bad about her hurt feelings, and added,
“Thanks for the thought, though.”

“Might I guess that you will be bringing the American, as
well?”

“As well?”

“My chief said he was taking Rachel Dunne to the ball.”

Douglas nodded. “You know our traditions. It is only natural
that we should attend with the same woman.”

“I see. I just thought since you weren’t married, you might
not be inclined to share. She is, after all…” She waved her hand dismissively
before he could answer. “But it is not my place to speak out of turn about the
American woman. If you change your mind and require a lady at your side, I will
leave my evening open for you.”

“What were you going to say?” Douglas demanded.

“Only that Miss Dunne is…” She hesitated. “It is not my
place.”

“Make it your place,” he ordered.

“There are rumors about her. I don’t normally like to repeat
such things,” again she hesitated, “and I’m sure you, Chief, being the informed
man you are, already know what is being said.”

“Tell me.”

“Rumors have been circulating the castle that she was
attacked by a wild dog when running alone in the forest. I, of course, have
nothing against her, but people do speak of her lack of propriety. I am sure
she is simply recovering from the ordeal and that is why she hides in the guest
room. You can’t believe she purposefully means to slight every person in the
place.”

Douglas didn’t move.

“Still, shifters can be hot-blooded and sensitive,” she
continued, “and it has given them quite a distaste of the woman. I suppose
allowances must be made for the fact that she was raised wild in America. Her
feral nature and lack of manners cannot be helped. None of this reflects on
you, of course. People also say that it is good of you to protect the poor
woman.”

He hadn’t heard any such rumors. However, being the foreign
chief, it wasn’t surprising no one mentioned ill words about his current lover
to him.

“You are very protective, aren’t you? It comes from being a
strong leader. It is good of you to help the unfortunate American and show her
some favor. I hear she doesn’t have family, so I’m sure your generosity will do
much to help her gain some support within the shifter community when she goes
back to America. It must be hard being a common fish. Such nobility as you display
now will surely be noted when it comes time for you to consider a real
candidate to be your bride.”

Her words stung but he could find no fault in their candid
delivery or her clear expression. Lisbetha touched his arm. He automatically
pulled back from her. He thought about telling the woman that he’s already
chosen Rachel to be his bride, and he could care less what the gossips at the
English court thought of his decision. He refrained, but only out of respect
for Rachel. She had asked him for time to think. The last thing he needed to do
was confirm a marriage she was not ready to announce. First the ball to deal
with the public, and then they would talk about a wedding.